Portable workbench for hand and table tools



p 6, 1966 J. M. BOSKO ETAL I 3,271,044

PORTABLE WORKBENCH FOR HAND AND TABLE TOOLS Filed March 4, 1964 INVENTOR5. JOHN M BOSKO.

JOHN LAWRENCE BOSKO.

JOSEPH B. L/NDECKER.

United States Patent 3,271,044 PORTABLE WORKBEN CH FOR HAND AND TABLE TOOLS John M. Bosko, 6691 Cleveland Road and Wall St., Ravenna, Ohio; John L. Bosko, Upland, Calif. (6691 Cleveland Road and Wall St., Ravenna, Ohio); and Joseph B. Lindecker, Skokie, Ill. (1193 Valetta Drive, Temperance, Mich.)

Filed Mar. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 349,326 8 Claims. (Cl. 28079.3)

The present invention relates to improvements in portable Workbenches for table and hand tools and the like; the bench may be considered a mobile shop unit for use by workmen especially for use inside large buildmgs.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a new and more industrious scientific device, to provide greater productive efficiency; the device can be assembled with ease in a short time and can be moved to any area or department in a building where a study, or research is being performed by a workman.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved, portable guide-bench to which tools may be attached and detached, it being a mobile shop unit under full control of the operator, especially efiicient for repair maintenance such as mechanical repairmen, electrical repairmen, welders, locksmiths, pipe or steam fitters, carpenters and the like. The unit will serve as a repair shop, supply house for needed parts, novel means for use between the productive assembly in a shop to the top manager in charge of production.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and convenient mobile shop unit for use in the construction of buildings, highways and survey of railroads, airfields, tunnels, or any other conservation research or construction.

And a further object of the invention is to provide a novel mobile unit for the research department, where new ideas begin by experimentation with materials, where sketching can be done on drawing board, parts bent, welded and assembled together, for analyzation of the project, to give greater progress in a shorter time interval.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical and necessary mobile Work unit for technical students at home and school, for clubs, motels, public buildings, ships, submarines, and the like; the size of the unit can be arranged as to size of the job to which it is to be used.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portable work-bench, and also providing a movable and adjustable section or leaf to conveniently support a book or to serve as a drawing board surface for use by a draftsman right on the construction job.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a portable workbench having a movable back board, pivoted upon the work surface of the bench, the board having leather loops extending through openings thereon, for conveniently storing hand tools, and as conveniently exposing the tools for easy access when they are to be i used.

.ing the inside of the frame work, rollers assembled therewith with brake means;

Patented Sept. 6, 1966 'ice FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a supporting roller having a wooden central portion and metal end members forming bearings for the axle journals;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the wooden portion of the roller shown in FIG. 3;

FIGURE 5 is an end perspective view of the bearing cap shown in FIG. 3;

FIGURE 6 is an end perspective view of a supporting stick of triangular cross-section;

FIGURE 7 is a side perspective view of an auxiliary draftsman stool carried by a movable steel arm;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one positioning of the leaf, or drawing board rneans;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the leaf, showing hook type means for detachably securing the supporting strut; and

FIGURE 10 is a side perspective view of a movable, metal tub carried by a metal tube, welded to metal angle means, the tub suitable to contain chemicals, the metal angle means to be attached to the end risers of the tables.

Throughout the specification and the drawings like characters of reference denote similar like parts.

More specifically, the bench of the present invention is of rectangular construction comprising four corner legs or standards 20, each pair of legs on opposite ends of the bench being connected at a point below the upper end thereof by end rails, or steel angles 21, and at their upper ends by top-end rails, or steel angles -22, to hold the side portions of the bench rigidly in spaced relation. A rectangular shaped shelf 23 is secured at its ends 24 and 25' to said end rails 21, the shelf resting upon the horizontal top flange of the rails to hold the end portions of the bench in spaced relation. The top 25 of the bench 1 5 is a composite member of rectangular shape, consisting of the major portion 26 of wood, the end portion 27 being of steel and separated by a strip of insulation material 28. The wooden major portion 26 can be made of solid wooden inner parts 30 with the top and bottom portions 31 and 32 consisting of plywood sheeting, the upper surface of the top portion 31 being provided with a work-resisting covering 63 such as a Masonite top veneer, or the like. The steel minor portion 27 of the top 25 is secured directly over the end legs 20 at one end of the bench 15, and is capable of supporting a vise by "bolts extending through holes 34 in the corner portion thereof; also a steel disc 35 is bolted centrally thereof by bolt '36. Said disc 35 is provided to support and elevate steel welding units; vertical holes are provided therein "for short stubs for bending, and/ or for anchoring the steel welding bar 37 therewith; said bar 37 can be rotated to any angular position and held in place by bolts 38. The insulation material 28 prevents any heat picked up by the steel plate 27 during welding and the like from traveling to the wood portion 26.

The tool supporting wooden back board 40 is of rectangular shape, and has a strip 41, preferably of wood, secured to the front side thereof intermediate the top and bottom thereof. Said strip 41 has a plurality of vertical holes 42 therein to support tools and has two vertical bores in its bottom portion to receive the top rods of rotating rod type arms 44, each having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the latter being bent downward at its free end and fitting loosely within holes 45 in the top portion 26 of bench 15. These support arms 44 can be rotated in a horizontal plane whereby the back board can be moved closer to the operator, or in an angular position. The back board also has a circular window opening 46 therein. The back board has two rows with a plurality of holes 47 longitudinally spaced therein, through which strap loops 48, made of leather or the like, may be threaded; the ends 49 and 50 may 3 be secured to the board 26 while the loops will support tools placed therein.

The top is provided with a movable and adjustable leaf, or drawing board 52 cut therefrom, it being rectangular and fitting closely but movably in an aperture 53 therein of corresponding contour. The leaf may be pivotally connected at its lower horizontal edge portion by hinges, not shown. The upper horizontal edge portion has a cut-out 54 for lifting the drawing board from the bench for use by the operator. A triangular shaped ruler, or stick 55 may be used to keep the leaf in desired elevation, as shown by FIG. 1. A strip 56 is arranged to provide a ledge 57 projecting forwardly from the rear margin of the aperture 53, this ledge serving to support the rear edge of the movable leaf 52. The ledge 57 is also utilized to cooperate with the adjustable strut 58 for support of the leaf, see FIG. 8, the strut 58 being provided with two dowels 59 removably fitting in dowel sockets 60 in the ledge 57. To retain the supporting strut 58 in inactive position against the underface of the leaf, as shown in FIG. 9, any desirable clip may be provided, such as a hook 62 pivotally secured in the leaf 52 and revoluble to engage the movable strut 58, and also capable of being swung aside, whereby the strut drops down and may be adjusted relative to the ledge 57, by inserting the dowels 59 in dowel sockets 60.

The lower end portions of each pair of legs 20 at opposite ends of the bench are provided with a hole 64 in the longitudinal flange thereof, a steel rod 65 extending between each pair of legs 20 with the free ends 66 journalled in said holes 64, and arranged transversely of the bench and at each end thereof. The ends 66 are secured in place with the legs by cotter-pins 67 and washers 68. Two wooden rollers 70, provided with steel cup-shaped end bearing members 71, are assemblied upon said rod 65, the apertures 72 in the end bearing members 71 forming a bearing for journalling said rod 65, see FIG. 2. A pair of washers 73 are assembled on said rod 65 along with a coil spring 74 arranged therebetween.

The wooden rollers will be resiliently held apart by said spring 74. However, either can slide longitudinally of the shaft when it is desired to turn the bench while it is being moved from one room in a building to another, for example. The wooden rollers make the bench mobile and turnable, yet the axles or rods 65 are rotatable in bearing members 71 but not turnable relative to the longitudinal portions of the bench 15. The rod 65 may be enclosed intermediate its ends by a steel tube and the rollers may be made of steel and rotatable on the tube assembled on the rods 65, see FIG. 1. This is described in a co-pending application and need not be described further at this time.

FIGURE 2 specifically shows a pair of rollers 70 assembled on rods 65 journalled in bench legs 20, the rollers separated by coil spring 74. A brake means 75 is shown comprising an angle bar 76 pivotally mounted by means of movable steel straps 77 movably secured at each end of the bar 76 and pivotally secured to the legs 20 thereabove. An upright steel bracket 78 is secured to the bar 76 midway between its ends, said bracket 78 having a hole 79 extending transversely therethrough. A bracket 80 is secured to one rear leg 20 above the roller 70 and it has a hole 81 extending transversely therethrough and a threaded cylindrical hub 83 secured therewith. Y A shaft 84 threaded at one end is threaded in and through said hub 83 and has its opposite end 85 extending through hole 79, and two washers 86 assembled thereon, on opposite sides of bracket 78, and a cotter-pin 87 extending through a hole in end 85. The threaded end 90 of shaft 84 has a turning grip knob secured therewith. It is obvious by turning the shaft 84 in threaded hub 83, the shaft 84 will travel transversely of the bench between legs 20, forcing said bracket 78 in one direction when the shaft 84 is turned in one direction,

and pulling on the bracket 78 when the shaft 84 is turned in the opposite direction; this transverse movement of bracket 78 will raise and lower the bar 76. Lowering the bar 76 will apply a braking action to the roller 70 there beneath, holding and securing the bench from movement thereof while in use.

FIGURE 1 shows bench 15 with bracket 93, tubing 94, and T-shaped fittings for supporting table 96, the tubing 94 and table 96 being movable to change the height and location of the table 96 relative to the bench 15, the various parts being locked in place by threaded keys 97 in threaded holes 98, all being obvious. The circular table 96 provides a chemistry table, whereby molding, ceramic work and acid treatments may be made away from steel top portion 27.

FIGURE '7 shows draftmans seat 106, supported by steel rod 104, metal fittings 105, supported in metal bracket 103 having a flange portion 102 adapted to be bolted to a front leg 20, the parts being movable and capable of being locked in non-movable positions by threaded keys 107, the construction being obvious from the drawings. The various parts supporting seat 106- provide a movable bracket to raise and lower the seat relative to the bench 15. A bracket 110 is welded to a front leg 20; the bracket can be assembled with movable seats or the like when they are needed near the steel top portion 27.

Below the top board 25 of the bench 15 and midway between the front legs 20 thereof, a stile bar 116 extends upright with end parts secured to the front of the table top 26 and shelf 23, thus reinforcing the shelf 23 substantially at the middle, in front. A drawer 118 is arranged between the left front leg 20 and the stile bar 116. The drawer slides on shelf 23 and is in sliding contact with the bottom surface of wooden portion 26 of top 25. A drawer handle 119 is secured to the front panel 120 of the drawer. Above the handle 119, a lock 122 is assembled in the front panel 120 of the drawer. The drawing board 52 forms a partial covering means for said drawer 118. Large drawings may be inserted through the aperture 53 in the top 26 without withdrawing the drawer 118. A bolt type lock 125 is arranged in the top surface of the drawing board 52 adjacent the rear edge thereof, the bolt 126 sliding rearwardly from the drawing board and into bore 127, shown dotted, in the table top 26, thereby locking the leaf 52 with the table top, preventing access to said drawer 118 except from the front when lock 122 is released.

FIGURE -10 shows a metal rotating tub 130 for chemicals or water solutions if needed by chemists or welders. A vertical metal tube 131 is extended above, below and through the bottom 132 of the tub 1 30. A bracket 133, with flanges 134 adapted to be bolted to the legs 20, is made of steel rods and pipe fittings, a rod 135 extending upwardly through tube 131, acting as a vertical support for tube and tub. A spacer 136 is assembled below the tube 131 acting as a thrust bushing. A tub for chemicals is most desirable when attached to the mobile workbench.

It is understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departure from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

We claim:

1. A device of the character described including a portable workbench having a top formed of a wooden section and a metal section, said top adapted for supporting wood working tools and metal working tools, a vertical tool supporting back board movably secured above the rear side portion of said wooden section and remote therefrom, said wooden section having an aperture and a leaf pivotally secured in the aperture and provided with means for supporting it in angular relation above the wooden section and also adapted to be retained in closed position flush with the top surface of the wooden section, a supporting frame comprising vertical corner leg members at the ends thereof secured with and beneath said top, a shaft extending between the lower end portions of the corner leg members at each end of the frame, a pair of elongated rollers rotatably and slidably mounted on each shaft, a coil spring mounted on each of said shafts between said rollers adapted to bias the rollers and resist a change in position on said shaft, and said rollers adapted to movably support said portable Workbench.

2. The construction of claim 1, including a draftsman stool movably mounted in a bracket rigidly secured to a front leg of the supporting frame.

3. The construction of claim 1, including a metal table movably mounted in a bracket rigidly secured to a front leg of the supporting frame below and adjacent said metal section.

4. A portable workbench of the character described comprising a rectangular shaped table top made in two sections, one of wood and one of steel, a vertical tool supporting back board movably secured above the rear side portion of said wooden section and remote therefrom, a steel supporting frame secured to the under side of said table top embodying vertical upright corner leg members, a shaft extending between the lower end portion of said leg members at each end of said frame, a pair of elongated rollers rotatably mounted on each shaft, a coil spring mounted on each shaft between said rollers adapted to resiliently resist a change of position of the rollers on said shaft, said section made of wood having a rectangular shaped aperture and a leaf hingedly secured in the aperture and provided with strut means for supporting it in angular relation above the wooden section surface and adapted to be retained in closed position flush with the wooden section, a pair of bent metal arm members having their lower ends mounted in said wooden section and their upper ends mounted in said back board.

5. The construction of claim 4 in which said strut is hingedly connected at one end to the underface of said leaf and has a plurality of dowel pins extending from the opposite end thereof, a plurality of dowel pin sockets arranged in said wooden section, said dowel pins being removably fitted in said dowel pin sockets, and means for detachably securing the said supporting strut in inactive position against the underface of the leaf.

6. The construction of claim 4 in which a metal brakng r i m va y m unted at One e d f the t l rame between the corner leg members thereof, said bar adapted to contact the longitudinal surfaces of said rollers on the axle shaft adjacent thereto when moved downwardly and thereby hold said rollers from rotating on the axle shaft, a vertical bracket rigidly mounted midway between the ends of said braking bar and having a transverse hole therein, an adjusting rod having one end extending through said bracket and movably secured therewith, the opposite end of said adjusting rod being threaded and mounted in a horizontal threaded bracket secured to an end leg of said frame, a turning grip means mounted on said threaded end of said rod whereby rotation of said rod will cause transverse movement of said rod and said vertical bracket effecting raising and lowering of said braking bar, the lowering of said bar effecting contact there of with said rollers and preventing movement thereof.

7. The construction of claim 4, including a metal vertical tub movably mounted upon a metal rotating tube secured to a metal rod arranged vertically and movable in a bracket rigidly secured to a leg member of said metal supporting frame.

8. The construction of claim 4 wherein said longitudinal rollers are formed with a central wooden section substantially cylindrical in configuration and having metal cap members secured to each end thereof adapted for metal bearings for the shaft extending through the rollers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,445,395 2/ 1923 Harvey 280-793 X 2,389,320 11/1945 Nance 188--21 FOREIGN PATENTS 565,019 2/1923 France. 1,200,530 6/ 1959 France.

11,627 '1902 Great Britain. 237,127 7/ 1925 Great Britain. 673,918 6/ 1952 Great Britain. 936,390 9/ 1963 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner,

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner, 

1. A DEVICE FOR THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED INCLUDING A PORTABLE WORKBENCH HAVING A TOP FORMED OF A WOODEN SECTION AND A METAL SECTION, SAID TOP ADAPTED FOR SUPPORTING WOOD WORKING TOOLS AND METAL WORKING TOOL, A VERTICAL TOOL SUPPORTING BACK BOARD SECURED ABOVE TO REAR SIDE PORTION OF SAID WOODEN SECTION AND REMOTE THEREFROM, SAID WOODEN SECTION HAVING AN APERTURE AND A LEAF PIVOTALLY SECURED IN THE APERTURE AND PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR SUPPORTING IT IN ANGULAR RELATION ABOVE THE WOODEN SECTION AND ALSO ADPATED TO BE RETAINED IN CLOSED POSITION FLUSH WITH THE TOP SURFACE TO THE WOODEN SECTION, A SUPPORTING FRAME COMPRISING VERTICAL CORNER LEG MEMBERS A THE ENDS THEREOF SECURED WITH AND BENEATH SAID TOP, A SHAFT EXTENDING BETWEEN THE LOWER END PORTIONS OF THE CORNER LEG MEMBERS OF EACH END OF THE FRAME, A PAIR OF ELONGATED ROLLERS ROTATABLY AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON EACH SHAFT, A COIL SPRING MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID SHAFTS BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS ADAPTED TO BIAS THE ROLLERS AND RESIST A CHANGE IN POSITION ON SAID SHAFT, AND SAID ROLLERS ADAPTED TO MOVABLY SUPPORT SAID PORTABLE WORKBENCH. 